Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock fears

Benedict Cumberbatch was initially wary of taking on the role of Sherlock Holmes.

Although the 39-year-old actor has won critical acclaim and praise from fans for his portrayal of the famous detective in BBC One's 'Sherlock', Benedict admitted he wasn't sure if the part was right for him.

He told CNN International: "I was very wary having done roles which were challenging and terrific and, you know, kept a good career going.

"I was very wary about stepping into the limelight and the populist role like Sherlock Holmes but the minute I saw who was involved and read the script and the quality of it I thought, 'I've got to do this'.

"Hopefully I haven't left being a respected actor behind by playing Sherlock."

And he admitted that knowing people are hugely invested in the fictional character, was daunting.

He said: "I was just going from great jobs but they weren't in the limelight.

"They weren't in the public eye quite to the extent that I knew that character, no matter what we did with it, was going to garner that kind of attention."